Week 13 – When You’re Sore Again and Again…This is Why
It’s been a week since switching from muscular endurance to hypertrophy training, and Mary is SORE!
“I feel almost as sore as my first week,” Mary said “Why am I this sore again?”
The last time Mary joined a training program, she lifted lighter weights out of fear that lifting heavier would make her look bulky. Her previous coach never addressed this myth, so she plateaued and never trained for hypertrophy which better improves body composition…aka tones and tightens.
This second soreness is new for Mary, but her coach explained that soreness is normal when making a program change.
It’s called DOMS.
Table of Contents
What is DOMS?
DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness occurs after performing an unfamiliar exercise or increasing exercise intensity. It begins 12 to 24 hours after exercise and peaks in intensity between 24 to 72 hours.
Typically, soreness subsides within a week, but if it doesn’t or gets worse, you should seek medical attention.
How to Interpret DOMS
It’s common to view DOMS as an indicator of progress.
It’s NOT.
DOMS is an indicator of CHANGE. Not a good workout.
Soreness can be good sign when expected, but being sore all the time or too often means the body is not adapting. This can happen for several reasons including overtraining, an inconsistent exercise routine, nutritional deficiencies and a lack of sleep.
Muscle soreness should diminish during the training phase and spike when a change is made. Reduced soreness over similiar subsequent workouts is an indicator that the body has adapted and overcame the training stimulus better than before.
DOMS is not harmful to your body, but it will create discomfort and maybe even limit your next workout.
Reduce DOMS
Here are a few tips to reduce DOMS:
- Consume Enough Protein, Carbs, Fluids, and Electrolytes Before and After Training
- Massage the Muscles or Foam Roll within 2 Hours of Training
- Actively Recover – Keep Moving through a Full Range of Motion
- Use NSAIDs (Pain Relievers) Sparingly and When Appropriate
Some soreness is part of the process.
The more you get to know your body, the more familiar you’ll become with different levels of soreness and how to respond.
